ler, who obtained the fame from the defendant in the following curious and artful manner. He went to the tradefman, and told him that he refpected him much; that he had a long time obferved his industry and care in bufinefs, and that he would willingly ferve him to the utmost of his power. The tradefman caught the bait, and told his pretended friend that he only wanted a little cafh to fet all his affairs right: Oh then (faid the Swindler) I'll procure you that, tho' I have not at prefent much about me; here's my friend (meaning a genteel well dreffed young man who was with him); he is a man of known refponfibility, give him your note for 100l. he fhall give you his for the like fum, which any perfon will give you cafh for; and, as for your's, no ufe whatever fhall be made of it, but by way of acknowledgment of the debt, when your affairs will permit you to pay it. The credulous defendant accordingly gave his note for 100l. which was the fubject of this action. When he came to know how he had been tricked, he brought an action against the perfon who gave him the counternote, to which the latter pleaded non-age; and, as the plea was grounded upon fact, the tradefman had no remedy. The plaintiff proved giving a confideration for the defendant's note. Lord Manffield in his charge to the jury faid, that, if they were fatisfied the plaintiff was any way privy to the fraud by which the note had been obtained, they ought to find for the defendant; that, though it had been proved the defendant had, when the note was fent for that purpofe by the plaintiff, acknowledged hav.

ing received a valuable confideration for his note, yet, as he was then ignorant of the fraud which had been practifed upon him, it ought not to operate against him; that the fending to the defendant fignified a fufpicion of the goodnefs of the note, and the manner whereby the fame was obtained; that the character of the perfon from whom the plaintiff received it, was fo notoriously infamous, and as it was proved, fo well known to him, that he could not be fuppofed to have paid a confideration for it, with any other view, than to become a nominal plaintiff in the action, and thereby to give it that appearance of credit, which, had it been commenced by the Swindler, it would have wanted. The jury, without going out of court, gave a verdict for the defendant, with full cofts of fuit.

Mr. Ambrofe Power, of 28th. Clonmell, in Ireland, was moft inhumanly murdered by a gang of the wretches called White-boys, after putting himself in their power in confequence of their promifing and fwearing not to do him any injury; but the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland having issued a proclamation, in order to fupprefs fuch barbarous and inhuman proceedings, and offering a reward of one thousand pounds for the first perfon who fhould be discovered as an accomplice in the fame, and three hundred pounds for each of the next twelve, with a pardon to the informer, except he be one of thofe who actually perpetrated the murder; and the gentlemen of the neighbourhood having exerted themselves with uncommon fpirit to detect and apprehend the murderers; fome of them were foon after apprehend

ed, particularly one-Downey, alias Capt. Slafher, and William Hayes, who being tried by a Special Commiffion at Clonwell, and convicted on the clearest evidence, were immediately hanged and quartered, by the light of torches, at the Court-house door.

In the Court of King's 29th. Bench, before Lord Mansfield, an action was tried, brought against a noble Peer for neceffaries fold and delivered to his Lady; it was in proof, that her Ladyship, having fome time fince got diamonds from a jeweller, kept them for feveral months; that the jeweller, on calling for the money, was informed that her Ladyfhip had fent them to a perfon fkilled in their value, and defired he would go for them; that the jeweller complied, went as directed, got the diamonds, and a letter to her Ladyfhip, mentioning their value; that the jeweller returned in hopes of receiving his money, but was informed her Ladyfhip would not fee him, or accept of the diamonds; that the jeweller, being in diftreffed circumstances, pawned the diamonds for money to convey him out of the kingdom; and they fince came to the hands of his affignee, who brought this action for the recovery of the value of the diamonds, they not being faleable, having already been ufed. The jury, contrary to the opinion of Lord Mansfield, found for the affignee. Being St. Andrew's day, 30th. feveral Scotch Baronets appeared at court, in the enfigns of an order which has lain dormant upwards of one hundred and fifty years it was originally called, The Nova Scotia Order, and has but lately been revived.

VOL. XVIII. 1775

The Royal Society held their anniversary meeting at their houfe in Crane-court, Fleet-ftreet; when the Prefident, Sir John Pringle, Bart. in the name of the fociety, prefented the gold medal (called Sir Godfrey Copley's) to the Rev, Nevil Makelyne, aftronomer royal, for his curious experiments in Scotland, on the attraction of mountains, and delivered an elegant oration on the fubjects contained in Mr. Mafkelyne's paper. Afterwards the Society proceeded to the choice of the council and officers for the enfuing year; when, on examining the ballots, it appeared that the following gentlemen were chofen officers: Sir John Pringle, Bart, Prefident; Samuel Wegg, Efq; Treafurer; Matthew Maty, M. D. and the Rev. S. Horley, LL. D. fecretaries.

Letters from Lifbon gave a melancholy account of the lofs of a French Indiaman, outward bound, by fire, Of 300 fouls on board only one officer and feven feamen efcaped. The fire broke out fo fuddenly, that the people on board had no time to hoift out the boats. The few that furvived faved themselves in a small skiff, and were nine days at fea with only a small cask of brandy to fubfift on. The ship was valued at five millions of livres.

The Pope has lately given a ftriking example of toleration, with regard to religion. As he was going alone, according to his ufual custom, to St. Peter's church to pray, he perceived a young man copying with great attention an al tar piece. The Holy Father ftopt, fixed his eyes on him without in terrupting him, and took delight in viewing the young man's work, of which he conceived an advan tageous idea in proportion as the work advanced; but his approach[M]

ing

ing fill nearer, diverted the attention of the painter. The latter had not yet feen much of Rome; he thought that an heretic, found in a church at Rome, ran the risk of being punished, as Christians are, when caught in Mahometan Mofques. Struck with dread at the idea he fainted away at the Pope's feet, who immediately call. ed for afliftance; but fome perfons coming in all hatte, brought the young ftranger to himfelf. My friend (faid the Holy Father to him) I am charmed to fee you poi fefs fuch difpofitions for drawing; you do well to copy good pieces; your drawing is very bold and cor. rect; I will get you received among the young pupils that are taught here at my expence." "Ah! Holy Father (replied the young man in a faultering tone) I am a Protellant." "A Proteftant (anfwered his Holiness) I would rather you were a Catholic; but there are great painters among the Proteftants; religion has nothing to do with painting; I fhall take care to procure you all the neceffary helps to render you perfect in your art." The Pope kept his word, without requiring the young artill to change his religion, and even ordered that no fteps fhould be taken to incline him to change it.

The reader may remember our having mentioned fome great dif. turbances, during the first months of this year, in Bohemia and Moravia, occafioned by the hereditary oppreffion of the poor peafants of thefe countries by their lords; and fome others in France, owing to the fcarcity and dearnefs of corn; and that both had been fo far appeafed, as not to leave much room to apprehend their breaking out

again. But this fecurity has fince proved, from whatever caufe, a great deal too premature. Some time about the middle of May, Bohemia and Moravia were again in a flame, and the violences attending it more fhocking than ever, the authors of them expreffing the greatest indifference concerning the confequences, faying,it was equal to them whether they perished by the word, by fire, by the hands of the hangman, or by the diftrefs which purtued them, and which drove them to thefe acts of defpair. Accordingly, when fired upon fome time after by the troops fent against them, they kept their ground, and returned the fire; fo that from a fpirit of policy as well as humanity, the troops were early enjoined to act more on the defenfive than on the offenfive, against thefe too juftly it feems enraged peafants; efpecially as, in one of leveral memorials published by them, they were faid to require nothing but one day in the week to themselves to take care of their bodies; and another, to betow on their fouls; leaving the remaining five to the difpofal of their lords. At length, therefore, the court of Vienna, fome time in September laft, fent a patent, regulating the affairs of Bohemia, to General Wallis, Commander in chief of the troops in that kingdom. He was to caufe it to be publifhed in the most remarkable places, and the perfons, entrusted with the execution of his orders, were to be accompanied by a strong military efcort. By the new regulations contained in this patent, the peasants are ftill obliged to work at the corvees three days in a week; before, they were obliged to work the whole week; those who pay

no

no more than nine florins per ann. contribution to the prince, are only to furnish their perfons and the ftrength of their hands; but thofe, who by reafon of their poffeffions pay more, are obliged to do the fame corvees, and to furnish horfes or oxen in proportion to their charge. And it is probable, that thefe conceffions were well received, as we have not fince heard of any fresh violences committed by the wretched mortals in whofe favour they were made.

As to the difturbances in France, it was not in any diftant province, but in the very heart of the king dom, they broke out again, and that with uncommon indications of defign as well as fury; fince bread had been often dearer without occafioning fuch murmurs; and many of those who joined in the outrages committed on the bakers, and dealers in corn, appeared not to want money to pay for what they took away by force. The capital itfelf was, for two or three days, afcene of the atmoft terror and confufion; the people crowded in from the country, and required four pounds of bread for eight fols, (about 4 d English) instead of fourteen fols, (about 7d English) which was then the ftatute price of that neceffary; and, on being refufed, pillaged the bread markets and bakers fhops, and obliged the bakers to bake more bread for them at their own price. At length the King, not content with employing the military to restore and maintain the public tranquillity with as lit tle effufion of blood as poffible, on the 5th of May, ordered the parliament of Paris to attend him in a body at Versailles, where, in a bed

of juftice, he informed them that, in the prefent circumstances, he was obliged to deviate from the ufual courfe of bufinefs; that he both ought and would put an end to the prefent murmurs, which might caufe a rebellion; that he would take care to provide for Paris and the kingdom; that it was on this account he called the parliament, and that the keeper of the feals would more amply explain his intentions.'

The King clofed the bed of juftice with telling the parliament, that he forbad them to make any reprefentations on the subject of that fitting; but, on the other hand, he treated them with uncommon marks of refpect. They were kept to dine at court, and entertained at three tables; a compli ment which had never before been paid them.

The King, though he had thus provided against any clafhing between the civil and military powers, thought proper however to fteer a fomewhat middle courfe between both; his Majefty commiffioned the provoft of the Marchaufée, or half civil and half military guards of the high roads, with the care of difperfing the enraged multitude, and doing justice, in a fummary way, on fome of the most guilty; with an offer of pardon, at the fame time, to all thofe, except the ringleaders, who fhould make reftitution for the corn they had taken away at the current price. This numbers of them had already done at the remonftrances of a prieft in the neighbourhood of Paris, to whofe parish they belonged; and their example was now followed by many more. Several of the rest

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